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A better way to hold nuts and saddles for easier, faster shaping.

Sure, most of us already have a shop vise. And for a long time, you've probably used yours to hold nuts and saddles for filing and shaping. But you've also noticed that your vise jaws get in the way when you're trying to file the top of that nut or saddle, so you're constantly repositioning the work in the jaws.

We considered the problem and designed a special vise that gives you the clearance you need for an easier and more efficient job.

The custom jaws are extra tall, with steep angles for easier access to your work. The end of the vise is beveled for extra relief, too. The 2"-wide steel jaws are hardened for durability and specially undercut to stay parallel under pressure, holding the nut or saddle uniformly without slippage.

For other jobs, the jaws open to 2-7/16", making it versatile for gripping all kinds of small work. This is a well-made, heavy little portable steel vise with a 2" x 5-5/8" footprint; you can clamp it to the edge of your workbench, or into your larger shop vise.

The Nut and Saddle Vise is included in the Essential Nut Making Tool Kit, which has all the basic tools you'll need for shaping, string-spacing, slotting and fitting string nuts like a pro.

good all round vise

Seriously, besides a guitar neck how many things do you put in your bench vise. Bridge saddles, nuts, frets, bridge pins all need a small vise. I've never had to clamp it. my bench is covered in that extruded foam shelf liner from rubbermaid. and it never slips. I also use it to hold my fret bender, so I don't have to keep it sticking up in the way, bolted to the bench.

The Tool for the Job

I hesitated on buying this vise based upon a few previous reviews, but I'm delighted with it. It's heavy, solid (not at all toy-like), and the jaws are just right for the purpose. I had futzed around using my regular vise- cutting little wood inserts that I had to juggle in place with my third hand while trying to tighten down on the nut. Not any more! Worked like a charm- lots of room to angle files in order to get just where you need to. I'd rather not have it in the way when not needed bolted to my bench- held in my big vise it's there only when I need it and up higher where it's easier to use. Easily worth it.

Cheap junk

Wish I could give it a better review, really wanted to like this product. It's poorly machined, the travel of the moving vise is not smooth (gets stuck a lot), and the beveled vise plates (pretty much the main reason for buying this, right?) don't line up flush on the top face. So for example, you wouldn't want to use this to file the bottom of a nut or saddle down using the tops of the vise plates as your depth stop, because they are uneven with each other and that will ruin your flush bottom. I complained, Cust service said they'd have someone hand pick a replacement for me that didn't have this flaw, and the replacement I got was just as bad. Since I still needed something like this, I just sent the replacement back, kept the original, and filed the tops down flush myself. Pretty disappointing though, clearly does not look like a quality product, looks like cheap junk the moment you take it out of the box.

Versatile tool!

I prefer to shape nuts on the guitar but this is great for doing acoustic saddles. Furthermore I find it really valuable when doing violin bridges and a lot of other small jobs around the shop. When I bought this I thought I was buying a luxury item. I was wrong. This has become an integral part of my work. Glad I bought it!